Domestos + UNICEF launch ‘see-through-loo’ via bgb, to drive awareness of global sanitation crisis

1 in 3 women worldwide don’t have access to a toilet, a basic right that Australians simply take for granted and for which lack of access is difficult to comprehend.

Experience agency bgb, was presented with the challenge of gaining awareness and understanding for this shocking statistic. Creating empathy was key, with bgb designing and building a ‘see-through loo’, which was installed on the Bondi Beach promenade for passersby to use. The see-through loo provided an intimate glimpse into what it’s like to go to the toilet in the open with everyone watching.

This campaign was created for Domestos and UNICEF, who have partnered to raise awareness for the global sanitation crisis and the sanitation programmes conducted by UNICEF and supported by the Unilever Foundation. The see-through loo successfully engaged people’s hearts and minds. Throughout the course of a weekend, over 600 people entered – and some used – the toilet. Their responses were captured, with the resulting content piece amplified via owned, paid and earned media. bgb partnered with a specialist social mission PR agency for media outreach.

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Says Xanthi Kouvatas, group account director, bgb: “Our thinking behind the campaign was to literally stop people in their tracks and for an instant, evoke   that shocking sensation of being vulnerable and exposed during such a private moment. This is the disturbing reality for 1 in 3 women worldwide. The see-through loo social media experiment, with its associated media exposure and resulting compelling content, had a real impact in the market and exceeded all KPIs.”

Through its global partnership with UNICEF, Domestos has committed to helping 25 million people have access to proper sanitation by 2020. Women are particularly vulnerable to the sanitation crisis as the lack of access to a safe toilet exposes them to the risk of violence and harassment, and affects school attendance – thereby perpetuating cycles of inequality. Women and girls living without a toilet spend 97 billion hours each year looking for private place to go.

Adds Kouvatas: “Our campaign highlighted the significance of this issue and educated consumers on how vital toilets are in empowering women and giving them a better future. By making the message real in such a powerful way, we started an important conversation and encouraged people to support UNICEF’s work by buying a bottle of Domestos.”